It seems to be the new talking point: The deal is a victory for conservatives not because of what it does (which is, not much!), but because it supposedly represents a change in the direction of the debate. Once, Washington discussed what to grow. Now, Washington discusses what to cut. Even former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has echoed the theme  but with qualifications. The Wall Street Journal Washington Wire reports:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Mondays House vote to lift the debt ceiling was a victory for the tea party, proving that conservative activists had shifted the conversation in Washington.

We shall take this victory and make sure our politicians in office today are learning from this victory, Ms. Palin said Monday night on Fox News, where she is a paid contributor. Its not a 100% pure genuine victory. We just handed the most liberal president, I believe, in U.S. history a $2.4 billion debt increase.

Ms. Palin didnt fully embrace the deal, saying she had plenty of problems with the compromise between the White House and congressional leaders, including Republican House Speaker John Boehner. In the past, the former governor said she was not convinced America would face a default if lawmakers did not raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2.

Meanwhile, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), one of the founders of the Tea Party Caucus in Congress (along with GOP presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann), says the deal cant possibly be touted as a win.

The Tea Party is not calling this a victory, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said today on Fox News. Im certainly not.

Palin does not see it as a victory. Csense explains it so that even people with PDS can understand:

... She wasnt referring to the substance of the bill as a victory, she was merely agreeing with Greta, when Greta said: The Tea Party had an enormous victory because they did change the discussion here in Washington, and it is a little bit like trying to change the direction of an aircraft carrier, its not easy

Sarah then went on to explain why the content isnt a victory and summarized by saying: Yes this is a victory because tea party patriots did shift the debate...

Shes not abrogating her principles and what she said was exactly correct.

With the power shown with this fight now we should have the rest of there agenda in an uproar.....no more rushed bills of several thousand pages unread....no card check....amnesty.....or additional controversial funding.

58
posted on 08/02/2011 3:03:12 PM PDT
by clove
(God, Family and Country, the truth will live!)

Do you think the bill would be anywhere near what was passed if the TEA party candidates had not been there?

Obama and the dems wanted to raise taxes now and actually spend more, so how is this not "a step in the right direction"?

She only repeated Greta's word "victory" and only used in in the context of the debate. I'm not suggesting this was a good deal, and neither was she. The author and the Palin bashers here misconstrue the discussion she and Greta had, listen for yourself.

62
posted on 08/02/2011 3:09:16 PM PDT
by Lakeshark
(Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)

“... but this cult of personality has built up around her such that people project their views onto her. The bottom line is that she is not some 100% Conservative hero.”

Yes, I call it the “Tough-talking RINO Effect”. No matter how many times a Republican politician helps the Democrats, lots of Republicans will assume he’s a conservative as long as he talks tough (or uses a firearm or served in combat).

Have a link by chance? I missed it and would like to see it if you happen to have it.

You don't want to go there. It degenerated into a flame war and too many long term FReepers got tarred as trolls and threatened with a zot.

Here's the link to what Sarah actually said. Her "victory" remarks start just after three minutes -- she clarified what "victory" means in the context of shifting the debate, what it does NOT mean (handing Obama a blank check for 2.4 trillion, yes she said TRILLION, for example).

If you believe the headlines in the mainstream media these past few weeks, you have to believe the country is on the verge of collapse.

Not only will default on the nation’s debt wreck the economy, if it happens, but Washington’s political stalemate is an example of the complete dysfunction of the American political system, the pundits and reporters tell us.

According to this analysis, we are witnessing the breakdown of governance itself. The American political system is on the brink, and no one has wanted to wink.

It’s all so much nonsense. I’ve addressed the economic consequences of default before - or the lack thereof - but now let’s take a look at this so-called collapse of American democracy and political institutions.

No matter how the debt talks turn out (or have turned out), what we have witnessed is not the collapse of governance, but the first serious challenge to an entrenched establishment in decades. What we have witnessed is not the obstinance of ideologues, but the courage of the principled.

I love Sarah Palin but this cult of personality has built up around her such that people project their views onto her. The bottom line is that she is not some 100% Conservative hero. She is a decent conservative with some moderate tendencies. Look at her record as governor of Alaska. Look at her statements before she was nominated to the GOP ticket. There is a reason she and Perry get along so well. They are both moderately conservative.

Exactly! The difference between the two is that Perry would win a landslide while Palin would stand no better than a 50-50 chance.

"... it's a step in the right direction. Yet still, you know, I'm not celebrating as a pure 100 percent victory the actions that have been taken because, again, we're handing a very liberal president and his colleagues a check in order to spend even more money that we don't have. We're not taking the steps still to reform entitlements so that those safety nets can be there for future generations. And we're not taking steps, Greta, to become energy independent. We're still over there talking to dictators, talking to foreign country leaders, asking them to ramp up development of energy supplies when we have those God-given resources here, underfoot, that we should be developing in order to be energy secure, one more step to get the economy back on the right track."

80
posted on 08/02/2011 3:26:42 PM PDT
by Red_Devil 232
(VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)

Thanks for the actual transcript, a lot of folks on this thread are getting the wrong idea from this author. The two full money quotes:

Well, I think that we shall take this victory and make sure that our politicians in office today are learning from this victory, realizing that it's not 100 percent pure, genuine victory because realize, Greta, we just handed the most liberal president, I believe, in U.S. history a $2.4 trillion debt increase. We're allowing him to increase the budget even more, and without guaranteed cuts, and without guaranteed reforms. And we have to make sure that we realize that, yes, this is a victory, because Tea Party patriots did shift the debate. However, there's so much more work to do in order to get the economy back on the right track and to restore the exceptionalism that is America.

And

Right. A couple of things there. One is Obama did get what he wanted in terms of not having to deal with this issue until after the election. So that was his part of a victory there. But another thing in terms of timing of all this, what happened to the pledge that our congressmen had made to America, saying that they would post online for three days any bill before it was voted upon? They've already broken that pledge. You know, and doggone it, that makes us disappointed in our politicians in Washington, D.C. We want to make sure they're fulfilling the promises that they've made. But yes, there's -- it's a step in the right direction. Yet still, you know, I'm not celebrating as a pure 100 percent victory the actions that have been taken because, again, we're handing a very liberal president and his colleagues a check in order to spend even more money that we don't have. We're not taking the steps still to reform entitlements so that those safety nets can be there for future generations. And we're not taking steps, Greta, to become energy independent. We're still over there talking to dictators, talking to foreign country leaders, asking them to ramp up development of energy supplies when we have those God-given resources here, underfoot, that we should be developing in order to be energy secure, one more step to get the economy back on the right track.

86
posted on 08/02/2011 3:34:33 PM PDT
by Lakeshark
(Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)

You can post what you want, but this story (with HEADLINE) originates from a site which is actively campaigning for Gov. Perry. Example? Look at their August candidate survey which was released early today. Palin’s numbers went up again, yet Hot Air is pushing the poll with a picture of Gov. Perry and the caption “Surging”. This is the same angle (against Palin) they used two months ago with Michele Bachmann.

I don't personally care which candidate you're pushing, but at least make an attempt at objectivity. If you saw the interview, this headline was taken out of context and is very misleading.

Thank you for sharinig that with me, it's nice to see it for myself and make my own call.

I have to agree with Palin, she called it like it is. I have to check even myself sometimes when we don't get everything we want....right now.

The left has been at this for close to a hundred years now, they have incrementally imposed their agenda taking three steps forward, kicked back maybe one step by the GOP but none the less accomplishing a two step “progress”. The last fifty years have yielded the most dramatic “change”

We have at least two generations of commie/socialist infiltration to fix, whether it can be done peacefully remains to be see......I have my doubts. IMHO, of course.

The Tea Party is not calling this a victory, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said today on Fox News. Im certainly not.

Well, that's nice, Steve. That's certainly accurate. But, I must ask: Would it have been a "victory" if the debt ceiling had been raised $2.4 TRILLION via the bill YOU and all but nine of your Republican colleagues voted for?

96
posted on 08/02/2011 3:39:54 PM PDT
by EternalVigilance
('I seem to smell the stench of appeasement in the air.' -- Margaret Thatcher)

Obama and the dems wanted to raise taxes now and actually spend more, so how is this not "a step in the right direction"?

Taxes could still be raised if the "super committee" deems it necessary. The Bush tax cuts or other tax loopholes may be closed, effectively raising taxes. AND, WE ARE SPENDING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE. The "cuts" are a reduction in the increase that may never actually happen and after trillions more have been added to the debt.

Only Sarah Palin could compel someone to make a conservative come up with a spin like this.

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